Stone: Oklahoma 'A-OK' with taking jobs from California

Oklahoma is big enough to matter, but small enough to get things done. A decade ago, as a twentysomething looking to start my own public relations/marketing agency, I felt like I could live anywhere in the United States. I had worked for a Washington D.C., public affairs shop, but I saw what the rat race and the long slog to the top looked like. I wanted the proverbial blue ocean, where I could differentiate myself, and where I could make a difference now.

Growing up in Oklahoma afforded me familiarity with the state, but it was opportunity that committed me. I saw something unique happening, and I wanted a piece of it. Ten years later, my upstart firm is one of the fastest-growing independent agencies in the nation. Our team likes to say "Oklahoma by Choice" when pitching business to out-of-state clients.

The economic success story of the past decade is well documented, but I'll humbly brag about a few highlights. Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" told the story of Oklahomans moving to California, but a reverse trend is well under way that has seen a net migration in excess of 20,000 to Oklahoma from California in recent years.

Boeing has made Oklahoma a strategic division by moving jobs from Long Beach, Calif., and Wichita, Kan. General Electric announced in April that it would build a $110 million global research center in Oklahoma dedicated to driving innovation and technological advancements in the oil and natural gas sector. GE got help from pro-business Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, who used $3 million from the state's new "closing fund" to close the deal.

These companies and others utilize the state's Quality Jobs program, which provides tax credits in exchange for new hires.

Big brands are fun to name drop, but the real economic growth is by small businesses, many with entrepreneurial, non-energy-sector roots, like mine. Of the 38 Inc. 5000 privately held Oklahoma companies in 2012, only five are energy related, which shows nice diversity.

Oklahoma is a red state politically, and the Republican-led state Legislature has overhauled its workers' compensation system, which was regarded as one of the most punitive in the nation. The income tax rate will be under 5 percent by 2015 without major increases in property taxes as fees and increased income tax collections have risen.

America's Top State for Business: South Dakota

CNBC's Scott Cohn announces the winner of this year's "America's Top States for Business"; and speaks with South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R), about the cost of doing business in his state.

Despite all this good news, some still ask, why Oklahoma? Everyone in the world knows about the severe weather that took an enormous toll in loss of life and property this past May. Perhaps what is most interesting about Oklahoma to anyone looking to locate their family or entire business here is how a state as small as Oklahoma can recover so quickly from tragedy.

Whether it is the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing or this year's tornadoes, the resilience of the people makes Oklahoma a special place to grow a company. When adversity strikes, literally or figuratively, Oklahomans come together.

I'm living in Oklahoma by choice and proud of it. A generation from now, I believe the growth in America will come from places like Oklahoma. It is a place where talent is congregating in record numbers, an appropriate balance of government and free markets have taken hold, and entrepreneurs are free to climb the ladder they build with their own two hands.

C. Renzi Stone is the CEO of Saxum, an integrated marketing communications agency, offering public relations, digital and advertising services. He is also a member of the CNBC-YPO Chief Executive Network.

CNBC andYPO(Young Presidents' Organization) have an exclusive editorial partnership. A key component of this partnership is regional Chief Executive Networks in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. These networks are made up of cross-sections of YPO's unrivaled global membership of 20,000 top executives on the frontlines of the economy, running companies that collectively generate $6 trillion in annual revenues and employ 15 million people in more than 120 countries.